KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed and four other soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated Monday in eastern Afghanistan, NATO-led forces said.

A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, Lt. Col Tadd Sholtis, said another two U.S. soldiers and two Afghan soldiers were wounded in the attack.

Another ISAF servicemember died in southern Afghanistan after a small-arms attack Monday, he said.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told CNN that the explosion described by ISAF as an IED attack in eastern Afghanistan was instead the detonation of a female suicide bomber, who ignited her vest at 4:45 p.m. (8:15 a.m. ET) in a crowd of military personnel who were helping at a clinic in Kunar province, in the Shaltan village of the Segal district.

He put the number of dead at 10 foreigners and two Afghan soldiers. Seven foreigners and seven Afghanis were wounded, he said.

Mujahid said the woman had a male relative who had been a fighter and was killed by foreign forces. ISAF said it could not confirm the report, but was investigating.

THE GOVERNMENT MAY SUCK RIGHT NOW, BUT IM THANKFUL THEY SPENT OUR TAX DOLLARS ON MILLION DOLLAR MRAP'S. MY HUSBAND WAS SPARED HIS LIFE TODAY BECAUSE HE WAS IN AN MRAP (GOOGLE IT). WHILE ON A CONVOY. TWO TRUCKS, HIS INCLUDED WERE BLOWN UP BY IED'S.

Even the Taliban "spokesman" admits to what a heinous crime this is–"in a crowd of military personnel who were helping at a clinic". Think about it–how could anyone support the Taliban and their warped view of justice? Remember–the Taliban allowed bin Laden to start this fight, and they continue to provide him sanctuary in Pakistan. Do you really want their sick, twisted vision for the world to prevail? Where's your outrage against their atrocities?

AFGHANISTAN IS A CEMETERY FOR THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE SUPER POWER, LEARN FROM BRITISH ARMY IN THE 19TH CENTURY, RUSSIA 20TH CENTURY AND NOW THE AMERICAN ON THE 21ST CENTURY. ISN'T THAT NICE TO GET RICH AND DIE!!!

– World's best armies and most sophisticated military equipment from around 46 countries.
– More than 119,500 highly trained and well-equipped ISAF soldiers
– supported by Afghan National Army....
– Unchallenged air-superiority and predator drones.
– World's best generals and commanders and war planners....

up against what ?????

– A rag tag 'terrorist' outfit of a few thousand poorly trained and ill-equipped foot soldiers.

– RESULT:
9 years of bloody conflict, violence spiraling out of control, casualties mounting, Afghan government untrustworthy, corrupt and unstable. On top of that Afghan drug production and trade booming. White House and Pentagon abound in geniuses...... what's missing ???? Sanity...! i think.

General McChrystal embarrassingly reminds me of the characters in the movies 7 Days in May and Dr. Stranglove. Apparently Stanley Kubrick and John Frankenheimer had a notion to notify the general public of the power virus that over
whelms men who seek and breath power and like any cancer it corrupts absolutely.

Many more soldiers are killed than what is reported. Read this assessment from Gen. Barry McCaffrey: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/01/army_casualties_010410w/

Americans should prepare to accept hundreds of U.S. casualties each month in Afghanistan during spring offensives with enemy forces.
The dire forecast was made by retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, an adjunct professor of international affairs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, in a periodic assessment of political and security issues he has conducted in the war zone since 2003.
“What I want to do is signal that this thing is going to be $5 billion to $10 billion a month and 300 to 500 killed and wounded a month by next summer. That’s what we probably should expect. And that’s light casualties,” said McCaffrey, who is also president of his own consulting firm in Arlington, Va., and has conducted numerous trips to the war zones to assess the political and military challenges at hand.
McCaffrey, a three-time recipient of the Purple Heart medal who also earned the Distinguished Service Cross twice during combat in Vietnam, told Army Times that “people are shocked when I add the numbers up,” but what he’s discussing, he said, is not significantly higher than what is being suffered by U.S. in Afghanistan now.
His reports are compiled with information gathered in theater and from research conducted beforehand. McCaffrey traveled to the war zone for this report as an academic from West Point at the invitation of theater commander Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Central Command, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the operational commander in Afghanistan, he said.

My only son is serving in this stupid war in Afganistan..Soldiers die and ther press is asleep at ther wheel why..why?? Because thats what obama wants it..he's loosing ground and he knows it..Realizing obama inhearited this mess, but..remember the change? Oh how do we like change thus far my felllow legal Americans...? The closer to 2012 the more he's going to declare victory thus using our young men and women as pawns in his game for his so called agenda..until then many of our young soldiers are and will be coming home in body bags..Time to flush the toilet in washington...These idiots dosen't have a clue what the hell they're doing...!!!!!

My nephew was one of the soldiers killed in todays attack in Afghanistan. We are grieving for a very brave soldier who gave his life for his country, one who was so very proud to wear his uniform and defend our freedom. Our loss is unimagineable.

Lac, So very sorry for your family's loss. Thank you for your nephew's service and sacrifice. My husband is there now, too. It is hard to live with the worry, but I imagine much harder to live with the loss. God bless you and your family as you all cope with this. It was a senseless and uncivilized attack on soldiers providing aid.

We are so sorry for your loss. Please except our thoughts and prayers for you and your family. My nephew is over there as well. He called home today. For now we know he is safe. Please pray for him and the others as well. God Bless America!

@T_AW9: Don't give up. Just pray sincerely for the survival of our soldiers and police working for peace. We're on the same situation, I know how does it feel to have loved one whose life is at risk in that war torn country. If you're a catholic, do pray the Holy Rosary daily, prayers to St. George the Great and St. Michael, The Archangels. Prayers are powerful aid for our loved ones. brothers and sisters currently based in Afghanistan, Iraq and all over the world. God Bless Us.

God bless these soldiers and their families. I cannot imagine what such a loss would be like. I have a boyfriend surving in Afghanistan currently and could not imagaine how I would take this sort of news. My heart and prayers go out to them.

One thing I will say is, Why in the world is this not headline new on CNN.com? Instead its about a couple with Alzheimers?!?! It's not that I am so cold that I do not think they had huge struggles, but these men/women died for our freedom and we can't even make it a top story??? Unreal!

I guess that people are getting tired of hearing about the war and all the right-wing fanaticism that goes with it.I just wish that Barack Obama and the Washington crowd would get equally tired of waging it.

We're on an entire blog dedicated to the brave men and women of the US military. This war has been going on so long that an entire section of the website is set aside for them. The war has been going on so long that to report on nothing BUT the war would only depress people, and its possible that a large number of people would simply lose interest in it. And its not like this is the only news going on in world. When something really major happens in the Afghanistan War, I'm sure CNN and all of the media will be all over it.

Found out this evening that it was my cousin who died here. He was injured (lost his foot) in Iraq, and he chose to go back and continue to serve once his rehab was up. It is a sad loss for the family but we are conforted to know that he has gone on to Heaven.

About this blog

Afghanistan Crossroads is where CNN's reporting converges -- bringing you a diversity of voices, stunning images and video, global perspectives and the latest news from on the ground in Afghanistan and around the world.